


And my love plays wait and see

by tigerlilyinaframe



Category: Booksmart (2019)
Genre: F/F, Gen, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-08
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-04-22 23:20:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19138876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tigerlilyinaframe/pseuds/tigerlilyinaframe
Summary: What if the party took place at the end of their junior year instead of their senior year?Fic title credits to LCD Soundsystem's "Oh baby".Formerly a different name cause i'm dumb and got the lyrics wrong, albeit my version was dreamy too.





	1. Amy translates this as an invitation

**Author's Note:**

> Like so many of us in this blossoming fandom, I wanted to write a spin-off of Booksmart to keep the story alive. I wondered about lost time and decided to set the party at the end of their junior year rather than their senior year to give Amy and Hope just a little bit of more time. 
> 
> I'm pretty much through all the stories on here thus far on Booksmart and waiting impatiently for updates so here's how I'll spend my in-betweens!

Their first night is the last of their junior year of high school.

It begins the day prior, upon a spontaneous plan devised by their class’s soon to be vice president. The announcement of Molly’s presidency and Nick’s vice-presidency would be made the next morning on the last day of the semester just before summer break.

(On the first day of senior year, Jared will offer to pay for a new “Class President” label as someone had crossed the first two letters on what would essentially be _Amy’s_ designated parking spot, but Molly reassures him that she finds it funny. But that wouldn’t happen for another three months.)

Nevertheless, Nick’s plan was to throw an end of the year party at his aunt’s house which was vacant for the weekend as she was stuck on a failed cruise shitting in a bucket. Before he could shamefully change his mind, he uses this to his advantage in hopes of getting to see and have fun with Ryan one last time before he spent the summer away. He was leaving for an internship he crossed his fingers his top choice, Georgetown, would eat up. A school he knew that Ryan had also applied to thanks to Triple A’s insistence on breaking every one of Molly’s (promised) rules …like the one where you kept where you were going to college a secret. While Nick typically had little to no trouble talking to girls he was interested in, it was different with Ryan and he felt a lot more reserved. Ryan’s inherent kindness towards everyone unsparingly had blurred his habitual arrogance and found the idea of her reciprocating his feelings far more ambiguous. He would rather have her as a friend than not at all. So because of this, he decides he doesn’t want to jeopardize that by making his crush explicitly known and everything uncomfortable. Casually, he mentions the party to Gigi knowing word would spread effortlessly on his part. He picks a time in which both Ryan and Gigi are in each other’s vicinity trusting Gigi’s tendency to make of anyone nearest to her– her soulmate of the day so as to ensure Ryan knows about it. Watching intently as Gigi does her rounds, he sulks his shoulders with an _“Oh, come on!”_ when he sees Hope arrive suddenly through the school’s side entrance. Gigi then clings to her in spite of Hope’s visible regret in having walked in at all. He ultimately decides that his next best choice, perhaps a much more reliable one too, is Triple A.

It’s lunch time when Molly hears about Nick’s party. She’s sitting in the restroom stall, fingers clad with a sharpie correcting someone’s grammatical error, as she eavesdrops on Tanner, Theo, and Triple A’s conversation. Ignoring the humiliating slot reserved for her in their game of Kill Fuck Marry, Molly texts Amy a one worded message. Malala. She could see that Amy had read it, receipts on as per her request and Amy’s perpetual willingness to abide by Molly (Malala or not), and immediately received an “oh shit?”

It takes Ryan’s sharp elbows accidently bumping into Amy for the girl to “concede” to Molly’s all in one breath Friday night proposal. Ryan, adorned with her as per usual sweet smile, offhandedly asks Amy if she’s going to the party which Amy, who swears can become a linguist if she really wanted to, translates as an invitation.

Behind them and a pair of reading glasses, Hope’s eyes peek over the book she was formerly preoccupied with once she notices the Auburn backdrop of hair that had appeared. She impatiently listens for Amy’s reply in between the girl’s nervous stuttering, but would rather bear witness to the burning of all her books than admit she cared for the answer. Humming as she recalls her time spent with Fahrenheit 451, she trails Amy’s finishing statements and awkward peace sign with the new goal to finish five more chapters tonight instead of just two to make up for the reading she won’t get done on Friday night. She found out, as of five minutes ago, that she was going to be at Nick’s boring party after all.

Amy returns to the table with Molly’s excitement for this Friday night’s potential and unusual turn of events. Still, Amy can’t help but admit to herself that she doesn’t thoroughly understand why Molly is _insisting_ on their attendance with the fervor she is. Something about versatility, ACTs, and hand-jobs. She opts not to push her best friend into telling her why she actually wants to go and feels the same pair of eyes she had grown accustomed to finding firmly on her when she met the heat of said person’s stare. Hope doesn’t break eye contact, but Amy’s palms start to sweat so she does and somehow knows Hope smirks at this each time.


	2. HOPE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Hi!!! 
> 
> So sorry for the bit of a wait but here she is! Chapter two!!!
> 
> Credits to LCD Soundsystem's "I Can Change" 
> 
> Next chapter will be Amy.
> 
> enjoy xx

 

 _Tell me a line_  
_Make it easy for me_  
_Open your arms_  
_Dance with me until I feel all right_

 

Tapping her fingertips on the steering wheel, Hope tried to meet the tempo of the song she was listening to. The Moon hadn’t quite tagged the Sun in just yet and that meant Hope got to see the baton exchange before class. This was her morning ritual. She would wake up just as the hues of gold and peony began smudging the sky and rush to beat the sunrise. The drive to get the proper picture of it was a bit of a ways from campus, but her teachers stopped threatening punishment after accepting Hope’s indifference for it. Hope thinks her grades and papers make up for that.

 

 _Never change, never change, never change, never change_  
_Never change, never change, never change_  
_This is why I fell in love_

 

She had listened to a song or two from the band, LCD Soundsystem, prior to today but she hadn’t heard this _particular_ song. Amy had posted a screenshot of the song on her Instagram story last night which was something Amy did every evening and Hope assumed was her way of telling everyone good-night. Hope, of course, waits until morning to open Amy’s stories so as to not ever risk being the _first_ one to watch it… _let alone_ before Molly. Waiting until morning also makes her think of the baton exchange between the Moon and the Sun but her pride dismisses that (albeit lingering) thought. Even so, Hope can’t help the tiny thrill that travels through her when she realizes she actually really _really_ likes the song; Amy’s recommendations had yet to let her down. She parked her car in reverse, looped Amy’s song, and climbed on the hood of her car. Crossing her legs, she pulled the book she had nearly finished last night and used it as a table to roll a joint. Tying her hair in a low ponytail, Hope slid back down and walked the few steps over to the tree she liked to rest her back against while she watched. The prints of her boots had by now indented themselves on the ground beside the tree quite firmly and Hope enjoyed placing them every morning in alignment.

 

Her film camera was bobbing against her hip and she patted it down with an _“I know baby, mama’s excited too, just a few more minutes.”_

 

Smooth silver swirls poured from her lips and twirled into the loose strands of hair coming undone by her cheekbones as Hope messed with the lens. She took thirteen photos (only one of which she’ll deem adequate), finished her joint, and headed back towards the school.

 

_Dashing the hopes  
And smashing the pride_

She was at her locker when she saw Ryan, also late, skating in a rush through the hall towards their classroom. She wanted to roll her eyes when Ryan smiled and waved at her but instead, she muttered out a “hey” as she took her time putting her jacket on. If she walked in as Ryan was simultaneously walking in then that would mean Amy wouldn’t notice her. It would be brief just like each of the numbered moments between them but it would complete Hope’s ideal morning.   

 

Hope looked forward to Amy’s look of disapproval when she walked in late because it always had a hint of an apology attached as if she didn’t want to hurt Hope’s feelings by disapproving. It was endearing, but it was also something Hope wished she could help Amy with. Amy never wanted to hurt _anybody’s_ feelings and was such a pushover in consequence of that.

 

But Hope had listened intently during each of Amy’s class presentations since knowing her and therefore knew that Amy was capable of standing up for herself given the women she looked up to. She just needed a little push… to stop being… a pushover.   

 

_And love is a curse  
Shoved in a hearse_

 

Hope glanced at her watch and decided to give it five more minutes. Five minutes for Amy’s eyes to follow Ryan to her seat in the back, Molly’s snickering shoves, Ms. Fine to say something like “as I was saying—” and then that’s her cue. She rolls her shoulders and already sets her eyes in Amy’s direction as she walks in. Amy had a hint of a smile on her face, presumably because of Ryan, before she snaps out of it as her eyes meet the intensity of Hope’s. Hope’s eyes trace the gulp slivering achingly down Amy’s throat and she smirks. Amy breaks eye contact and looks down at her own desk. As Hope slides into her desk chair, she forgets that she had put her phone in her back pocket so she accidentally sits on it and the song, she had left full volume on loop, starts playing where it had been paused.

_I CAN CHANGE, I CAN CHANGE, I CAN CHANGE, I CAN CHANGE_  
_I CAN CHANGE, I CAN CHANGE, I CAN CHANGE_  
_IF IT HELPS YOU FALL IN LOVE (IN LOVE)_

 

Ms. Fine throws her hands in the air and drawls out, “seriouuuuuusly?”

 

Amy turns in the direction of the music and furrows her eyebrows upon recognizing it and it’s too much of a coincidence to _not_ muster up the courage and dare glance at Hope again. Amy catches the way the blush spreads on Hope’s cheeks and ears like wildfire as she tries to get her phone out of her pocket, still sitting in the chair, but her jeans are too tight.

 

Annabelle looks at Hope in amusement.

 

Gigi, leaning against the door, watches knowingly even though she didn’t belong in this class.

 

Amy entranced yet confused, turns back around when Hope doesn’t meet her gaze this time.

 

Molly, who had been at Amy’s when she was listening to the song and posted it, looks at Hope suspiciously then protectively at Amy then back at Hope with squinted eyes. Hope, too consumed with horror, fails to register this.

 

Making use of the distraction Theo chimes in, “Hey Ms. Fine! You should come party with us tonight!”

 

At that, Molly finally looks away from Hope to tell Theo to sit down.

 

“…as I was saying,” Ms. Fine can’t help but laugh. It was Friday anyway AND the last day of classes.

 

When the bell rings, Hope replaces her ever-present mortification with a faux blank expression as she attempts to exit the room in four strides. Because everyone had bolted out, the last remaining people are Hope, Ms. Fine, Molly, and Amy. As she makes sure to plug her headphones into her phone, she overhears Amy and Molly bickering over who gets to personally have Ms. Fine input her phone number on their phones (something about wanting to do community service over the summer together). She stops mid-stride to let Amy pass and roughly bumps shoulders with Molly.

 

Molly scoffs at her retreating body but not without yelling out, “you’re welcome by the way! For the song!” Hope flicks her off over her shoulder and calls out, “Hey Amy, did you just score your teacher’s number?” She can hear the girl’s nervousness in her chuckle as she confirms she had and so for good measure, she turns to meet her gaze and sarcastically bites back a “nice!”  Amy frowns in return and while she isn’t surprised, she’s still confused.

 

Hope then heads towards her locker to bury her still scorching face.

The song now stuck in her head.

Looping songs be damned.

 

She makes it through two more classes before deciding to ditch the rest of the day when lunch rolls around. She sneaks away just as Gigi and Jared make a grand entrance (their second one of the day).

 

“Here comes the 1%” Hope vaguely hears Amy say. She smiles to herself as she passes the wives on her way to her car. She doesn’t turn, but she can feel Amy looking at her. She wonders if Amy will have the guts to ask her about the song. She wonders if Amy had thought anything at all about the morning’s incident. Maybe she can just go up to her tonight if Amy happens to get a moment away from Molly and maybe if she _does_ go up to her then Hope can casually compliment her taste in music. Maybe.

 

It’s 6:45 pm when Amy makes her daily evening post. It comes earlier than it usually does, probably because she was heading to the party soon. Hope had spent the rest of the afternoon developing her photos all of which had dried about an hour ago. She had stacked each photograph in order and used her camcorder to film a video as she flicked through them like a flip-book. Hope smiles down at the video and feels content in having captured each step. She downloads the video onto her phone after she adds the song, “Strawberry Swing” by Coldplay and then uploads it to her Instagram. That’s when she notices Amy’s story. She ultimately opens it and as she moves to grab a pen to make note of the song, her phone vibrates with a new notification. Amy had just, for the first time, favorited her post. Hope’s breath hitches because if she hadn’t already been staring at her notifications, she would’ve missed the comment Amy left before naturally deleting it milliseconds after.

 

Amy's comment read: “And here I thought you weren’t a morning person”

 

She gets a text not too long after from an unknown number.

 

  * “Don’t worry. I saw it too.”



 

“Saw what? Who is this?”

 

  * “Gigi of course??????”



 

“Gigi, how did you get my number?”

 

  * “More important matters at hand. I knew you and Amy were gonna happen”



 

“First of all, nothing has happened”

 

  * “We’re getting there”



 

“…”

“Yeah well, don’t jinx it”

 

Hope laughs to herself, locks her phone, and starts getting dressed for the party. She rolls a few blunts and shoves the case she keeps them in into her jacket’s inner pocket. She’s a little nervous but she also has her book with her so worst case scenario she can just go off and read somewhere.

 

 _Turn on the light_  
_Make it easy for me_  
_Fill the divide_  
_Fumble in the kitchen 'til it's right_  
_What an awful sight_

_But there's love in your eyes_  
_Love in your eyes_  
_Love in your eyes_  
_But maybe that's just what your lover finds all night._


End file.
